Environmental Newsletter Native Village of Kalskag IGAP UPDATE February 2009 By Michelle Happy New Year to Everyone! This year IGAP will be working on solid waste issues in our community. The Native Village of Kalskag has received a grant from Rural Cap and ANTHC to put fencing up around the dump in Lower Kalskag. We are also collecting recyclables along with elder s garbage every week. Last year we collected about 600 lbs of aluminum cans. We re hoping to triple that amount this year. The backhaul site is still in the planning stages and picking a site. We re also going to be making a burn barrel for paper only. It will help reduce the waste in the landfill. Our Emergency Response Team training is going to be in March, which is going to be an course. We have a list of people that want to be apart of the team but we would like to have more people sign up. The emergency response team will be dealing with fires, medical emergencies, search and rescues, and hazmat spills. IGAP is going to be working on water quality testing at a few sites surrounding Kalskag. This will help us by having data collected before future development on the Kuskokwim. We wish everyone a happy and safe year. Our next newsletter will be out in April. Billy Jean, IGAP Coordinator Michelle, IGAP Assistant Inside this issue: 1 IGAP Update 2 Household bins 3 Backhaul Site 3 Burn Barrel 3 Elders Trash and Recyclables pick up 4 Bon Appétit 5 Decompose of Litter 6 Winter Precautions
2 Household Recycling Bins The Native Village of Kalskag has received a grant to purchase household bins for the residents of upper Kalskag. We re hoping that it will increase the amount that is recycled in the community. The bins will only be used for aluminum cans. When your bins are full you could drop them off at the Upper Kalskag Town Hall or call the IGAP Department. Our landfill is getting too full. It would help if we all recycled or reuse the stuff that we throw away to reduce the amount that is being put into the landfill. You must be the change that you wish to see in the world. -Mahatma Gandhi Both Upper and Lower Kalskag IGAP collect aluminum cans. Collecting cans is a great way to start. Native Village of Kalskag is also collecting plastics, light bulbs, batteries, and ink cartridges. By recycling or reusing we will have less polluted air to breathe, cleaner water to drink, and healthier environment to live in. The Native Village of Kalskag Recycling Center What we collect: ~Aluminum cans ~Plastic that is cleaned ~All types of batteries ~All brands of ink cartridges ~Light bulbs All these substances take years to decompose. As soon as we give out the bins we will have a Recycling Contest. Whoever collects the most pounds of recyclables will win nice prizes. So get involved and help make our community a much cleaner place.
Backhaul Site We have been working with both cities and tribes on picking a site for our backhauling. It hasn t been decided where it s going to be yet. After the councils see the maps of where people own lots they will determine where the site is going to be. IGAP s of Upper and lower will figure out how much backhaul items we have to get moved out of the villages. We ll be backhauling OLD VEHICELS, DRUMS, REFRIDGERATORS, AND LARGE PIECES OF STEAL. IGAP has been working with The Kuskokwim Watershed on organizing this project. If you have any ideas come to your next joint meeting at the Lower Kalskag Town Hall on February 18, 2009 at 5pm. Elders Trash and Recyclables Pick-up Calendar February 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thru Fri Sat 1 2 8 9 OUT Pick up 15 16 22 23 President s DAY Holiday Pick up 3 OF 4 THE 5 OFF 6 ICE 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 Joint Mtg. @ 5 in lower Kalskag 7 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28 3 The difference between animals and humans is that animals change themselves for the environment, but humans change the environment for themselves. By Ayn Rand Burn Barrel The IGAP Department is going to be hiring someone to make a burn barrel for the landfill in Lower Kalskag. The City of Upper Kalskag donated two 1,000 gallon tanks to the Native Village of Kalskag. This burn barrel will be used for only paper and card boards products. Plastic is common in such things as bottles, jugs, bags, ect. Open burning does not reach high enough temperatures to destroy many of the dangerous chemicals created when plastic burns. Care should be taken never to burn these as carbon monoxide, dioxins and furans are released into the air. Studies have linked dioxins and furans to cancer and respiratory disease. March 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thru Fri Sat 1 2 Pick UP 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 15 16 Pick Up 22 23 Pick Up 29 30 Pick Up 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28 31
4 Bon Appétit PICKELED PIKE Recipe by Grandma Connie Samuelson 1. Skin and fillet the pike 2. Salt the fish for 3 or more months 3. Cut into cubes 4. Steep for 2 days ¼ cup pickling spice 2 cups Vinegar 2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 cup water ½ cup sugar ½ tsp dill weed 1 small onion sliced 1 cup wine optional DUMP CAKE Recipe by Billy Jean Stewart 1 can of pineapple 1 can of cherry pie filling 1 box of dry cake mix 1 stick of butter 2 cups of walnuts Grease pan. Put ingredients in that order. DO NOT MIX THE CAKE MIX. Cook it for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees, cool off. It s your choice to add whipped cream on top. The easiest cake you will ever make. Experiment with different fruit ingredients. 5. Soak for 3 days in a closed container 6. Stir once or twice a day 7. Then eat Hope you enjoy.
The Time it Takes Litter to Decompose 5 Paper Orange Peels 2-5 months 6 months Cigarette Butts Plastic Bags Leather Shoes Nylon Cloth Plastic Containers Aluminum Styrofoam 20 years 15-20 years 25-40 years 30-40 years 150-200 years 80-100 years NEVER Did You Know? Each person in the United States throws away an average of one ton of garbage per year. The cities and county create 170 million pounds of house hold garbage and waste water sludge each year. We use more than 67 million tons of paper each year which works out as about 580 pounds per person. Each pound of aluminum makes 32 cans. About 90% of the contents of our bins could be REUSED or RECYCLED. Think twice before throwing the trash into dustbin. You can REDUCE the use of some items, can reuse some of them like paper and cardboard and take some of them (cans, plastic, bottles, batteries, lights, and ink cartridges) to recycle bin.
6 Winter Precautions You are never too careful when it comes to traveling during the winter and the slightest mishap could be devastating. Whether you are going out ice fishing, gathering woods, hunting, or recreational activities outside of town, you ll need to: 1.) Tell someone where you are going and when you will return. 2.) Once you ve returned contact everyone that you ve notified that you re back so that they ll know you re safe. 3.) Bring enough food to last a few days. 4.) Bring thermos full of hot beverages. 5.) Bring spare gas. 6.) Bring extra clothing. 7.) Always travel in groups and never travel alone. 8.) Always bring VHF, GPS, and spare batteries. 9.) Always have an emergency kit with you. 10.) Always travel on the trails. 11.) If you break down, don t leave your snow machine unless you are near a village. 12.) Always bring flares, glow sticks, and flashlight with you so that it can be used as a beacon. 13.) Don t travel with a snow machine that is in poor condition. Always maintain it so that it won t have any problems during your travel. 14.) Check the weather forecast before you decide to travel and always look for any changes of weather. 15.) Don t travel on thin ice or where open water is present. 16.) Always look for signs of cold exposure such as hypothermia or frostbite. If you or someone is suffering from cold exposure, return back home immediately to treat the victim 17.) Wear clothing that has reflective tapes on them so that others can easily see or find you. 18.) Bring tools and spare parts. 19.) Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 20.) Bring a tarp and rope.